History of Astrology
Astronomy and Astrology went hand in hand for many millennia. Man's preoccupation with the skies began long before the invention of writing, so we can only guess at the extent of the early astronomical knowledge. But as long ago as 6,000 years, Chaldean priests used watchtowers to make maps of the skies.
Since then, astrologers/astronomers (for one word was originally used for both), have studied the nature of the Solar System and the relationships between events in the heavens and events on Earth. The great Astronomer Claudius Ptolemy left us the earliest surviving astrological textbook, the Tetrabiblos. Cicero, Archimedes, Galileo and Copernicus were some who used astrology as a major part of their work. Copernicus shocked his 16th Century contemporaries by maintaining that the Sun lay at the centre of the Solar System. This is now known to be true.
There are two distinct systems of astrological philosophy. One of them, the Ptolemaic, is Geocentric: the Earth is considered the centre of the solar system, around which the Sun, Moon and planets revolve. Astronomically, the Geocentric system is actually incorrect but for thousands of years it has proved its accuracy when applied to the material nature of earthly things. Geocentric astrology, as its name implies, is confined to the earthy side of nature.
The other system of astrological philosophy is called the 'Heliocentric' system. This positions the Sun in the centre of the solar system, where it naturally belongs, with the planets and their moons revolving about it. This Heliocentric system is an ancient science and was the normal pattern of celestial working that was adopted by the ancient civilisations, long before man invented the Geocentric system. A careful consideration of the writings of the great astrologers and a study of their diagrams reveal the fact that many of them were acquainted with this method of arranging the heavenly bodies. Heliocentric astrology may be used to analyse the higher intellectual and spiritual faculties of man.
At the beginning of the Piscean age 2000 years ago, one man, Jesus, was asked to take on his shoulders the Christ light. Each of us vibrating Heliocentrically, are waking to the understanding that we are now able, in this Aquarian age, to adopt the mantle of the Christ light and advance with it ourselves. It is by using the tool of Heliocentric Astrology that we can begin to understand our oneness with the Universe and our inner self, and to understand that we are capable of achieving this higher standard of the Master, by adopting the road to mastery that He taught us. One way of doing this is through discovering our true inner and higher selves through the energy patterns of the stars, as they were positioned - Heliocentrically - at the time of our birth.